Truth of Royalty
by Nightmare-stalker
Summary: The Zealian royal family hide a dark secret that may just bring down the entire kingdom.
1. Chapter 1

Few know the truth about our family. Mother prefers it that way. The royal line has been shamed due to my choice. Despite this I do not regret my actions.

To understand, I must start at the beginning. I was born the heir to the floating continent of Zeal. My parents, upon my birth, named me Schala, "One from the fairy kingdom." At that point in time the people upon this sky dwelling paradise held themselves superior to the poor souls bound to the wintry land below. My father, the King, devoted his reign to help erase this attitude. He said that they were his subjects also and must receive the same treatment as those above. The Earthbound, as they are called, loved him. Back then my mother did her best to support him in his endeavor.

My fifth birthday had just passed when my father fell ill after returning from the continent. Within days he died, the sickness resisting all cures, magical or otherwise. Mother, always making time for me before, began to ignore me. Her grief over my father's death and the ensuing responsibilities of ruling consumed her. I remained alone in my suffering. My father, the center of my world, was gone. Only a deep chasm remained.

How long I stayed in that grief-laden state, I know not. Long enough to become a thin shadow of my former self. Finally, tired of waiting for Mother to do anything, Balthasar, Guru of Reason, approached me. At first I didn't respond as it had been with the servants that attempted to take care of me.

I caught a glimpse something colorful and moving, something familiar. Father had always included illusions when he told me stories. I watched fascinated as Balthasar recreated that which my father used to do. The Gurus knowing he had my attention, present a bargain. He would continue with the stories if I ate what the servants brought me. I agreed, desperate for the memory of my Father.

Several days passed with Balthasar and his two compatriots, Melchior, Guru of Life, and Gaspar, Guru of Time, traded off staying with me. Despite the arguments presented to Mother that I still remained in danger, she still summoned her most trusted advisors. I was left alone for what seemed like eternity. Panic took me. What if my saviors never returned as my father had done? I would never be able to see those beautiful images again. I wandered the Palace searching for my beloved friends. Several times I saw the Gurus in the halls, but did not dare to approach any of them. They were all busy helping Mother. I could not handle a rejection. Days passed with nobody but the servants speaking with me. Finally the loneliness compelled me to talk to Balthasar. I stopped him in the hall. Keeping my eyes fixed on the ground. I asked him if he would teach me how to cast the illusions. This began my magical education. Images led to more complex magics.

My eleventh year saw the arrival of a new magician. Tall, deeply tanned with violet hair, he posed an impressive sight. Introducing himself as Solei, he petitioned Mother to allow him to join the kingdom of Zeal. She accepted. How could she refuse such a powerful mage?

Three years passed with little change. Until Mother started to put more and more restrictive laws in place. By this time I had been participating in various Court functions. Between the Gurus reports and my own observations, I knew about the growing discontent. To be honest, I was frightened. It would not take much to spark a rebellion and end the lives of Mother and myself. The Gurus convinced her to hold off on sealing the Northern Palace away. She had ignored the advice of the three gurus and had already sealed the Sun Palace. She said it was for security reasons. Mother said the Sun Stone was our source of power and we could hardly allow it to be stolen.


	2. Chapter 2

My fifteenth year saw the end of my education at the hands of the gurus. They told me my growing skills had and would continue to exceed theirs. The night of the anniversary of our kingdom took place four months after my birthday. The feast that night gave Mother the opportunity to assess the moral of her subjects. Dalton, her chief of security, monitored this.

The one-eyed rogue rose to the position two years previously using his golem summons to keep his underlings in line. I never liked him. Before he was promoted, Dalton was one of my bodyguards. Involved as I was in Court politics, I knew for a fact that he had asked for my hand in marriage. Mother denied his proposal, one action I will be eternally grateful for.

I received word of my new master at the feast; one I never would have expected. Solei. From his reaction, he did not expect it either. My cheeks flushed at the honor. Not only was he the premiere mage in the kingdom, but he also had been blessed with beauty. Most of the women at Court attempted to get into his good graces and hopefully his bed. As far as I knew, he refused all. Now, I gaining Solei as my teacher gained an opportunity most would give their very souls for.

After the feast finished, the Gurus all came to bid me farewell. Coupled with their duties and my studies, we wouldn't see each other as we had. As a parting gift they gave me a diary enchanted so only I could read it. Mother called them away shortly thereafter, allowing Solei to approach me. I was informed that the majority of his magic, uncontrolled, was far too dangerous to practice in a populated area. I expected something of the sort and promised to arrange things so I could accompany him down to the frozen continent below.

This man may have intimidated me, but I thirsted for the knowledge that he held. I believe I surprised him with how fast I learned. As the days then weeks wore on, Solei gradually opened up to me. He became more like a friend than a teacher. Weeks turned into months and I finally realized that I had fallen in love with my master.

What could I do? I was years younger than he was and his student. Any advancement on my part would be taken as a simple infatuation. My master wouldn't take my feelings seriously. How could he when he had refused women far superior than me? I was only a little girl, a princess, yes, but still only a girl. Resolutely, I stowed away my feelings for Solei, determined not to let him know. I wouldn't set myself up for a crushing rejection.

Mother periodically would dispatch soldiers to the continent and into the Algetty, the village of the Earthbound. She wanted to remind them who held the power over their life and death. She didn't care what these soldiers did as long as they didn't kill any more than the allotment given them. One such attack occurred on my sixteenth birthday. Solei had determined my magic was under enough control that we could live near others. I heard the screams that morning as I went about my morning routine and knew exactly what was happening. Throwing on my cloak, I left the cave where my master and I lived. I didn't know what I was going to do; I just knew I needed to stop this atrocity.

Solei caught me. I struggled against his grip; still intent on going to the aid of those I called friends. My master's hold remained firm. He knew what would happen should I go into the village. Soldiers wouldn't care who or what I was until it was too late. He would not let that happen to me. Lifting me up like a small child, Solei carried me back to cave. He held me until I stopped resisting, until he was sure that I was not going to rush off. Inside the stone walls, the screams were muffled, but not enough to shut out all the pain. Mother was inflicting terrible things and I was unable to do anything. My tears continued to fall, the sobbing in my chest began to hurt, and I still could not stop.

Everything halted with the actions of my master. My hysterical weeping stopped the moment I felt his lips upon mine. As shocked as I was, I did not think about the consequences. My arms wrapped around his neck and I returned the kiss with all that I had.

Solei pulled away, staring wide-eyed at me. My rational mind finally resurfaced and my cheeks flared in embarrassment. How could I have done such a thing? Granted he had started it, but the initial act was quite innocent. It was I that had deepened it. What must he think of me now? I glanced away. I couldn't look at him. Not after what had just happened.

A finger tilting my chin up forced me to look back into Solei's face. The single visible eye searched my face as he hesitantly asked if I had responded only because he was my master. The implications of his question shocked the truth from my lips. I told him that I loved him. He looked away in the direction of the cave entrance and his lips moved in what I knew was an arcane incantation. He turned back, sighed, and told me that this would complicate things. Before I could answer he pulled me into another embrace and I was once more lost in his kiss.


End file.
